POLST
March 29, 2012 Volume 4, Number 1  
In This Issue
National POLST News
Evaluating POLST Quality and Utilization
POLST Education and Resources
POLST in the News
Quick Links
 
TopNational POLST News

Judy Citko Named Chair of the National POLST Task Force

CCCC Executive Director, Judy Citko, JD, has been named Chair of the National POLST Paradigm Task Force. The task force is made of members from endorsed POLST paradigm states who contribute their individual expertise and experience and help to develop national POLST policy and education.

 

Presentations Available from the National POLST Conference

More than 250 health care professionals from 36 states attended the national POLST conference hosted by California in February. You may access the presentations online.

 

POLST in Action Video Updated

A revised 12-minute video is available that introduces the Oregon POLST form. The video is designed for health professionals who will be engaging in conversations with patients and their families. CCCC plans to adapt the video for use in California, including a segment that walks step-by-step through the California POLST form.

 

National Healthcare Decisions Day 2012

April 16th marks National Healthcare Decisions Day and encourages Californians to think about and plan for the types of treatment they would want if they become seriously ill. That makes it the perfect time to introduce POLST as part of this planning process. Visit the CCCC website to access Advance Care Planning and POLST resources.

 

Evaluating POLST Quality and Utilization

POLST Quality Improvement Evaluation Toolkit

CCCC has developed an Evaluation Toolkit for use by local coalitions to assess the quality of POLST forms being completed in skilled nursing facilities. The toolkit includes a chart evaluation tool, interview guide, and reporting tool, as well as a guide that provides step-by-step instructions on conducting evaluations and reporting results so they can become part of the statewide POLST data being collected.

 

This is a great opportunity for local coalitions to provide consultation on POLST use and implementation to providers in their community. For more information on the toolkit, or quality improvement efforts in your community, please contact Erin Henke, POLST Program Manager.

 

POLST Education and Resources

Pediatric POLST Workshop a Success

The inaugural Pediatric POLST Workshop was held in collaboration with the Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition in Marin on March 21 with 25 attendees. The curriculum designed for pediatric care teams includes a pediatric adaptation of the What is POLST? PowerPoint presentation, videos of a family member of a seriously-ill child and a physician, role plays, and several conversation aids. The workshop will be offered September 19 in Southern California, and in the fall in the Central Valley.

 

Revised California POLST Curriculum

CCCC is pleased to announce that the California POLST Curriculum has been revised to reflect changes to the POLST form, as well as added enhancements, including a guide for using the modules with different audiences, a shortened POLST cue card, and additional case studies and discussion questions. Individuals who have attended the two-day POLST train-the-trainer program are eligible to purchase a revised binder and/or flash drive with the updated curriculum. Please contact Erin Henke, POLST Program Manager, for more information.

 

New Resources

Several new POLST resources have been developed for health care providers:

 

Clinical FAQs for Providers - frequently asked questions that focus on the clinical aspects of POLST implementation.

 

Skilled Nursing Facility Guide - a reference guide has been developed in collaboration with the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, California Association of Health Facilities, and California Association of Long-Term Care Medicine to address concerns raised by the Ombudsman regarding POLST implementation in nursing homes.

 

POLST Forms are now available in Armenian and Pashto, in addition to the many other translations available.

 

Coalition & Trainer Newsletters

Future issues of the POLST Update will be sent in May, July, September, and November. In addition, we will be creating e-newsletters for POLST Coalitions and POLST Trainers, with the content being developed by coalition members and trainers. There is a great sense of community among POLST coalitions and trainers, and developing a newsletter for them and by them to share their stories is expected to be a valuable communication tool.   If you would like to contribute to the POLST coalition or trainer newsletters, please contact Erin Henke, POLST Program Manager.

 

Upcoming Trainings

Mark your calendars for these POLST trainings coming up:

 

POLST: Beginning the Conversation, One-Day POLST Workshop

May 8 in Oakland - come learn the basics of POLST and enhance your skills in facilitating meaningful conversations with patients and families about POLST and goals of care at this one-day workshop.

 

POLST: It Starts with a Conversation, Two-Day Train-the-Trainer Program

September 20-21 in Loma Linda - learn all the essentials about POLST in this two-day train-the-trainer course using the California POLST curriculum. The training provides opportunities to develop skills for facilitating meaningful conversations with patients and families about POLST and goals of care and ideas for implementing POLST in communities and training other health care providers. Registration will open soon.

 

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POLST in the News

 

Cutting Costs with Better Care for Advanced Illness

Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2012

 

Medical Directives Speak for You

The Monterey County Herald, March 19, 2012

 

Physicians, too, are sometimes unwilling to accept death

Bakersfield Californian, March 10, 2012

 

The Meaningful POLST Conversation

The CALTCM Wave, March 2012

 

Patient-Directed Care: POLST Ensures Wishes are Followed

AARP Bulletin, March 1, 2012

 

It's Never Too Soon: Make Your Final Wishes Known

Huffington Post, February 27, 2012

 

Helpful forms for end-of-life concerns

Sacramento Bee, January 29, 2012

 

Sacramento woman, 96, gives family the gift of planning her own peaceful death

Sacramento Bee, January 29, 2012

 

End-of-life planning makes final moments peaceful  

Napa Valley Register, January 11, 2012

 

 

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Newsletters are available at www.caPOLST.org in PDF format for anyone who is having trouble reading this email version.

The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (CCCC) is a statewide collaboration of organizations - representing healthcare providers, consumers and regulatory agencies - working together to improve end-of-life and palliative care for all Californians.  CCCC provides leadership and oversight for the implementaion of POLST in California, with support from the California HealthCare Foundation.